Hi there. I've had some problems lately with my rods. When I try to cast them the lure/bait simply spins around and no line comes out. This problem has went on for a while. I'm just using a basic closed reel. I've only been fishing for about 2 months and I'm mostly self taught. I have only one friend that fishes and he told me it was because I'm low on line. However, I asked a random fisherman I saw out at the creek about it the other day and he told me I had enough line and the problem was the oil in the gears was in the wrong spot and I just need to dip it in the water. Dipping it in the water DOES work but I have to do this every 15-30 minutes or so which is obviously not very practical. I told this to my friend and my friend said the guy (who told me he had been fishing for 20 years) was wrong and "the gears are never the problem. You're just low on line."

I'm looking for a more solid answer. Should I replace the line or no? If it is the gears, is there a way to fix this without dipping the pole in the water every 15-30 minutes? Perhaps taking the bottom off and spraying the gears with a spray bottle full of water? Or using some sort of oil?

I know a lot for only fishing for 2 months because I do a lot of research on the internet but I just can't seem to find a good answer on this. If you need any more information just let me know. Thanks!

Hopefully you can give us more of a description or image of the type of reel you have.

As a general rule, you are correct that is is not practical but it is also not a good idea to dunk your reel into the water to help make it function.

From what you have described, I too would be inclined to guess as NYBassin did that you might be using what is called a spincast reel. Here are a few images of reels commonly used. Hopefully the one you use resembles the shape of one of these so we can know for sure.

More detailed description of your reel will help us diagnose. I'm sre it's an easy fix. Regardless, dipping any reel under water is the last thing you want to do. Any benefit is temporary and masking the real issue. Under-spooling on a spin-cast reel can cause what you describe.

That's what I thought. The face piece should unscew so you can see the line. It should be about 1/8 inch below full. If so, reassemble and tie the of the line off on a tree or similar object. Walk off 100 feet of line. point the rod at the tie off and pull back to stretch the line and hold it for a few minutes. Dampen a rag with WD-40 or similar silicone and pinch the line to coat it and keep tension as you reel the line back on. This should get you going again.

I'd get the Kevin VanDam Line and Lure treatment and spray the line with it to help make it cast. The closed face reels, because of design, sometimes will wind up the line loosely inside the reel. After a while this lets the line get bound up, and sometimes even wrapped around the spool shaft inside the reel, meaning the face must be unscrewed and the line unwound from around the shaft to get it untangled again. My dad uses an old Johnson Century 100B reel that recently had this problem. He thought the reel had stopped working and he needed a new one. I took it apart and fixed it in 5 minutes. Just had the line wound around the shaft and wouldn't cast.

In any case, discontinue dunking the reel. Like others said, it is not a good thing, it allows dirt to get inside the reel and collect in places it shouldn't. This will cause problems later that are worse than the one you are having now.

Also, it's not the gears either, they are greased up from the factory and have nothing to do with the cast of those type reels. Only the retrieve.

I believe this is a line issue. It's either the line bound up, or it could be that you've used and cut off most of the line through using it and retying, and now you are down to just a small amount left inside the reel. This would cause casting issues if the line was too low. For that, it's as simple as changing the line out again to refill it. It's simple to unscrew the face of the reel and have a look to see if you have enough line, or that the line is where it belongs and not wrapped up around the shaft, or just wound loosely on the reel only. Start there. After making sure the line is wound right, I'd treat the line with the KVD as I suggested. You can get it online at Bass Pro Shops, or maybe at a tackle store close by. It's about $10 per bottle but well worth it. It increases cast distance for sure, and it does so by making it easier to cast to start with. It seems to soften my line, and that will help a lot for making the line lay right inside the reel on the spool which will help avoid problems on subsequent casts. If you find you need more line, then I'd get the Berkley Trilene XL in the red box in the pound test you want, depending on the size of reel you have. Heavier lines don't work as well on smaller reels. It could be anywhere from 4# line up to 12# as a general range. I'd suggest 6# to 8# for most types of those reels. I like the Berkley Trilene XL for how easy it casts but Stren original is similar also, it is in a purple box for easier identification at the store.

One thing to do that will help with line binding issues is every so often you'll want to make a long cast and then wind the line back while pinching the line between thumb and finger so it winds tightly inside the reel on the spool. Slight to moderate finger pressure is all that's needed. This isn't needed as often when fishing baits that provide natural resistance while reeling them back such as spinnerbaits or crankbaits, but when fishing live bait or soft plastic lures (fake worms for example) then sometimes this lets slack get in the line which can cause the binding problems after multiple casts and slack build up. Every reel needs this from time to time but it's easier to see when it's needed on reels where the line is exposed. On the closed face ones where you can't see the line you may just have to do it as a preventative maintenance about every 20 or 30 casts or just whenever you seem to notice it not performing as well.

Welcome to the site, and welcome to the fantastic world of fishing!!! Once you start, you'll never stop!!! It took me just one time to know I would always do this. I came home from that first trip, consciously aware of that fact.

I have noticed my line keeps wrapping around the shaft loosely. I have been tying it off on a tree and reeling it in with pressure as I was shown by one man before and it has helped. However, it only seems to help for a very short time, especially on my 20lb test line/rod/reel. It seems to help for a longer period on my 10lb test line/rod/reel but again it only works for a short while. But I did try to walk off 100 feet of line like DVT said and I wasn't able to get 100 feet before my line ended so it sounds to me like my problem may just be that I'm low on line.

I think the KVD spray sounds like a good idea. I doubt anywhere around where I live carries it but there's always the internet. How would one spray this on the line though? On a portion pulled out of the reel tied to a tree? Or on the lot of it somehow?

And thank you for the welcome to the site. As for the welcome to the fishing... I may have only fished for 2 months but I fish 4 times a week, generally 4+ hours at a time and I have a 2 tray plano tackle box full of lures worth a couple hundred easily. You are very right about never stopping once you stop. Fishing is for life.

I would second Grey Wolf's opinion, but you can do that as time goes on. To upgrade to an open faced spinning reel, you'd also need a new rod for it too. They use a different kind of rod.

For the KVD spray, just remove the face of the reel, it just twists off, and then saturate the line with the KVD spray. You can also spray it on the original spool before you wind it on and then reel it in.

I'll keep that in mind for the future. I think I'll go with open faced reels/rods from now on.

I believe both of my rods need lines replaced so I'll do that from the get-go. The thought of it increasing cast distance is a nice little bonus. I can almost cast to the other side of the local creek where the big bass are as it is. That should get me to the right spot.

What particular model of reel is this exactly?? Also, what does the rod say on the blank, near the handle, for what power/action it might be?? Such as medium, medium heavy, and so on (it might just be letters like M or MH too)?? The rod should give a line and lure size suggestion on it also.

Just because it came with 20 lb. test line doesn't make it right. I imagine most reels come with the cheapest line the manufacturer can find. My daughter has bought a couple cheap spinning outfits. I have to change the line shortly thereafter.

Less than 100 feet means the line is too heavy for the reel or you need to refill or you have a very small reel which means 20 lb. is way too heavy. I'd refill with 8 lb (10 lb. max) line as previously suggested. This line weight will land any bass that swims as long as you aren't fishing in heavy cover. If you need heavier line, then I would switch to braid. It has a very small diameter to strength ratio. I think you will find that the 8 lb. line will cast much better than the 20 lb. on this type of reel. Only a guess on my part, tho.

I've only used one spincast reel. A Daiwa mounted on an ultralight rod. Used 4 lb. line to get enough on it. Too small for ultralight far as I'm concerned because the miniature spool diameter made casting very far tough even with 4 lb. line.

I'd like to extend a welcome to this site also. You are doing the right thing by coming here and asking questions. Plenty of people willing to offer help. IMO you will enjoy using a spinning reel much more than a spincast. Maybe it was because I had such a small spincast reel, but I found my spinning reels to be much easier to use day in and day out. Two things to remember with a spinning reel. 1). Always close the bail by hand before reeling, and 2) don't keep reeling if line isn't being wound onto the reel.

I fished spinning reels for a good many years, but didn't know rule 1 until joining this site. It is suppose to alleviate line twist. Same for rule 2.

Good luck catching those big fish on the other side of the creek. Seems the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence no matter what we are doing.